01/04/21 - Countryside Code, ELMS and robotic mowers

Farming Today

• Episode: 01/04/21 - Countryside Code, ELMS and robotic mowers
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:13:40
• Published: 2021-04-01 07:00

'Be nice, say hello, share the space' - a new Countryside Code is launched, 70 years after the first booklet was published. The 'refreshed' code developed by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales aims to help people enjoy the countryside in a 'safe and respectful way'. Rural groups from the National Farmers Union to the Ramblers have also been involved in its development. We speak to the architect of the new Environmental Land Management Scheme - Janet Hughes. As the subsidy payments from the EU's Common Agricultural Policy are phased out, ELMS will be introduced in England. This is a massive change for farmers - on average the subsidy they're paid makes up more than half their income. So what will it really look like? And could escaped robotic lawnmowers pose a risk to crops? Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons